High Hopes and Low Lives
by LisaRachel
Summary: What would it be like to stumble into the lives of the Darley's? Two unsuspecting friends find out. Rated M for Sex, Language, Drugs, Violence, all that jazzz.
1. Chapter 1

**Enjoy =)**

"No."

"Seriously, its gonna be fun." I groaned, leaning back in my chair.

"I'm not in the mood. Just get one of your sleazy friends to tag along." I sat up and leant over my keyboard, typing lazily. I loved Gina, but her harassing phone call was bringing out my blunt side.

"Rachel, you're gonna die in front of that damn computer." Six hundred in one hour. Not bad. "Are you even listening to me?" Woops. Was I?

"Yeah. I'm listening."

"Fuck you are. Get off your ass and come out with me." I looked down at my legs. Haven't shaved in four days and I'm ghostly pale. Hmmmm, quality.

"I'm good."

"Seriously, I'm coming over right now. You better be ready." Ok, this was getting on my nerves.

"Gina. Stop. I'm making a living, just leave me be—"

"RACHEL!" I snapped my mouth shut. She was my oldest friend and she knew how to beat me. "Just. Come. Out." I sighed. Fighting wasn't going to get me anywhere. I knew that tone.

"Just for a bit." She scoffed.

"You're staying with me until I say you can leave." This chair couldn't lean back far enough.

"GIINNNAAAA." I could see her hands on her hips.

"I'm not playin'." Her accent. Damn her. She was slipping back into her accent, which only meant one thing. Stokely.

"Where are you?" Suddenly the conversation was very one sided. "Huh? You planning on telling me where this supposed party is?"

"In the city." Stokely. That meant Stokely.

"Goddamn you."

"It's just a party. I'm not askin' you to move there again." I crossed my apartment living room and flicked aside the curtain of a window. I lived a good distance away from the glow of the city. Thank goodness I'd made enough money to get out of there. Many weren't that lucky.

"Well fuck, I suppose that means I'm gonna have to pay to drive out there." It wasn't too long of a drive, but I was going to ride her about this until I felt better.

"You speed like a demon anyway. It takes you like, what, thirty minutes to get here?"

"Maybe if I was a rocket." Gina finally laughed.

"You and I both know you can get here in less than forty." I checked the clock glowing on the cable box.

"What time?" I mumbled. Her smug face was evident in her voice and I crossed my eyes, defiant until the end.

"Be here at twelve." I glanced back at the clock.

"It's fuckin' eleven thirty!" I shrieked, bolting towards my bathroom. My hair was a mess, my face was a disaster, and my legs…well yeah.

"Then I suppose you'd better take your baby." I groaned. She knew how much I hated driving baby into Stokely.

"If it's jacked, I'm killing you." Gina's laugh was deep and content.

"It's got an alarm for a reason."

* * *

><p>My legs rang from the razor I'd hurriedly scraped over the skin. I muttered apologies to myself as I scampered down the stairs of my apartment building towards the garage. Laundry was scarce so I'd chosen a pair of comfortable jeans and a black t-shirt, finishing it off with a boring pair of black flip flops. Thankfully, my hair had been cooperative and given into the straightener with ease, falling in choppy layers around my shoulders. The only makeup I wore was mascara and eyeliner, highlighting the only good feature I had: my bright, green eyes.<p>

When I finally got to the bottom of the stairs, I sighed. For the amount I paid for this place you'd think they'd have an elevator. Striding out into the night, I clicked my fob and baby cooed at me from my spot. Light of my life. A smile broke out on my face as I ran a hand over the hood, walking to the driver's side.

"Hello my darling." I whispered, opening the door and sitting inside neatly. There was one thing in this world I'd lose it over and it was this car. My two-year-old, black, 2007 Dodge Challenger. I'd bought her with over ten years of savings, grinning like a fiend as I handed over nearly my net worth. But it had been all I ever wanted since I was a kid. A fierce car to start a fresh life.

Starting the engine was like winning the lottery, every. single. time. I grinned and shook my head, tossing dark brown hair into my face.

"I missed you too baby." I purred, putting the car into drive as I eased out of the spot. A glance at the green clock on the dash told me I had fifteen minutes. A devilish giggle rose in my throat.

Make it ten.

* * *

><p>Gina sauntered out to my purring engine in a silver mini and a black tube top. I couldn't help but groan. Next to her, I would look like a dude. A boring dude. Her long, skinny legs were visible up to her thighs and I tisked her audibly as she opened the door.<p>

"You look like a fuckin' hooker." I said, swishing my hair. Gina grinned and plopped into the passenger seat.

"Aren't ya a sweetheart." She replied, flashing me a smile. I rolled my eyes and gripped the steering wheel.

"Where is this thing anyway?" Gina lived just outside Stokely, managing to keep her distance…most of the time.

"It's at that place off of Ensor…Grant I think." I dropped my head down to my chest.

"You think?" She shoved my shoulder.

"Just go." I made a face and took my foot off the brake.

"That place is a dump." I muttered as the streets got darker and dirtier. Gina played with her long, dark hair in the overhead mirror.

"It's not that bad." The bitter laugh escaped me before I could think of a proper retort.

"Yeah, ok." Clever. Gina dropped her jaw in an irritated glare.

"Ya lived like, four blocks away for eighteen years." I raised a finger without looking away from the road.

"Seventeen." She let out a groan.

"Get over yourself. Its just a fuckin' party." I peered over at her.

"What guy told you about this?" She pretended to forget, shrugging as she puckered her lips in the mirror. "Gee, I'm gonna turn around if you don't level with me." She let out an exasperated grunt.

"A girl I work with's brother. K? He like, knows a guy." This time it was my turn to grunt.

"Seriously? That's it? Some guy who knows a guy who know—" Gina slapped my arm and I clamped my mouth shut.

"Rachel. You've been crammed in that one bedroom for over a week." She leaned over the median and I raised an eyebrow, glancing at her with darting eyes. "You need to get…" Her fake nail poked into my arm. "…a…life."

"I have a life. It's called software." Gina laughed and I jumped, startled by the sudden blast in the cabin of the car.

"You mean, piracy? Hacking? Ripping people off for money?" I grinned evilly.

"Well, yeah. Best way to live nowadays." Gina shook her head.

"Ya look down your nose at Stokely and look at ya." She gestured. "You're still a fuckin' scum bag." I flashed her a smile.

"But I have a nicer car."

* * *

><p>This. party. sucks.<p>

That's all I could think while I downed another can of beer in the corner. I stared at it for a moment then took another gulp. If I'd wanted a night of shitty beer, I could have gone back and finished college. The thought made me involuntarily snort. Yeah, like that'd ever happen. Tuition was a bitch and I made enough money. Didn't need the hassle of homework.

The bass was cranked and I flinched. Apparently it hadn't been loud enough before. The abundant amount of blondes were writhing in the middle of an old house, fondling each other like horny teenagers. I squinted. Wait a second…some of them were teenagers. I groaned and tossed back the beer again. How the fuck do I end up in these situations. I'm a computer geek, not a sorority girl.

Gina had long disappeared into the masses and I'd taken the road less traveled by, staying in a corner. The music sucked and my head complained from lack of clean air. I checked my phone and couldn't believe it. It was only one in the morning. Less than an hour and I was ready to leave? I dropped my head back and stared at the ceiling. Jesus, I was pathetic.

"Hey." My head shot up, looking for the source of the voice. A tall guy with dyed hair leaned up against me. OH boy. He's definitely lost.

"Hi." I managed to mumble. The smell of whiskey and cigarettes was strong. Where the hell is the Jack at? I thought. I'd settle for that over this any da—

"You new?" He said with a raised eyebrow. His face was decent enough. Cute more than manly, but decent. Facial hair lined his jaw and chin, hinting at an age above….twenty?

"Not really." I said, carefully directing my face away from his. His eyes were intense and it was making me squirm.

"I don't recognize you." He purred. Something touched my shoulder and I looked down, realizing he was stroking it with a finger. Jesus. Was this really happening?

"Well, that's fair. I don't know you either." I replied, fighting a grin. Maybe if I out talked him he'd go away.

"I'm Joey." He offered. "And I like you." That was just too much. I let out a bark of a laugh and tilted my face away, hiding behind my hair. His finger lifted from my shoulder and pushed the hair back. "What?" He asked, grinning at my laughter. The booze was sinking in and the hilarity shot through me.

"I'm gonna go." I said, standing off the wall I'd been leaning on. He moved with smooth agility and I was caught off guard. He pinned me back on the wall.

"Come on." He purred. His breath tickled my face and a shiver went down my spine. I hadn't been this close to a man in a while and the reaction was involuntary.

"I just—" Joey lowered his face, peering into my eyes.

"Let me kiss you." Ok, heart. Meet stomach. I nearly choked, thoroughly taken aback by his forwardness.

"No." I said softly. Jeez. Could I sound more unsure? He grinned and stroked my cheek with his thumb. His eyes, they were so hard to look away from.

"Please." He purred. God, was this guy a cat? My pulse rose exponentially and my throat burned.

"I don't know you." I whispered. Way to go, Rachel. Fight 'em off. His hand slipped easily behind my jaw and I was lost. He cradled my head in one palm and my mouth fell open. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears as he covered my mouth with his. His lips were warm and tasted like cigarettes. Not my favorite, but it fit him. Smoky and delicious. When he ran his tongue over my lip, I inhaled sharply and fell against the wall for support. Damn. Joey was a terrific kisser. Not that I would know. I hadn't kissed anyone in over two years. His hand drifted down my side and alarms went off in my head. My eyes flew open and I was startled to find his were as well. Something brushed over my left nipple and I gasped, ripping my head away. Jesus, what was I thinking?

"I gotta go." I muttered, ducking under one of his arms. He grabbed my wrist and I clenched my eyes shut. I could still taste him and it wouldn't take much to persuade me back into his mouth.

"Don't run." He purred. "Let me walk you outside." That startled me further. I looked up at his face. I hadn't realized how much taller he was.

"Ok." I managed to squeak out, blushing profusely as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and guided me through the dancing crowd. Girls were watching me and I ducked my head, avoiding their eyes. What the hell was the deal? One girl grabbed at Joey and he stopped.

"Hey baby." She whined, rubbing her ass against his jeans. I lurched forward towards the door, hoping the distraction would keep him from following. Being outside with him would be awkward. I'd just frenched a man I didn't know. And I don't french.

The air was cooler outside and I sighed, tugging my keys out of my jeans along with my phone. I dialed Gina and walked down the block, hoping and praying no one had stolen baby while I'd wasted my time at the party. Her voicemail clicked on and I grunted, snapping the phone closed.

"You need a ride?" Oh. good. I turned, running a hand through the middle of my part.

"No. I'm good." Joey walked up behind me, clicking a lighter closed as he took a drag on a fresh cigarette.

"It's still early." He said, hissing a cloud of smoke into the air. I nodded and gave him a tight smile. God he looked good in the light. His slender body was framed perfectly by a leather jacket and his jeans were cut just right, hanging low on his hips.

"Yeah." I muttered, desperately willing my phone to ring. Please let Gina call back.

"Why don't you let me drive you somewhere?" He grinned. Was he kidding?

"That's ok. I have a car." I gestured down the block. Joey looked past me and his brow dropped slightly.

"The Challenger?" I blushed. Great. Should have kept my mouth shut.

"Yeah." His grin only grew.

"I knew I liked you for a reason." I laughed. I couldn't help it.

"Look, Joey. You don't even know me." He nodded and took another drag.

"I know. So why don't you let me?" I smirked. He was smooth, he'd obviously had practice. He got closer and I felt that feeling in my stomach again. God I was in worse shape than I'd realized. First guy to come onto me and I was melting faster than butter. But Joey was good looking, even more so in the street lamp's glow. "So what's your name?" He asked. Suddenly I was aware of my ass against something hard. I'd backed right up into a parked car.

"Rachel." I breathed. Oh boy. I was toast. He leaned in closer and flicked his cigarette away.

"You come here alone, Rachel?" Yes. Yes I did.

"No." He looked genuinely disappointed. Fuck it. "But she's gone. I think she left." There he was, grinning at me and I was ditching Gina. Well, she'd told me to get a life. Doesn't this count?

"Why don't we get out of here?" He purred. His nose grazed my cheek and I shook like mad. If he didn't touch me, I was going to explode. I tilted my face towards him and he got the message loud and clear. Pleasure ripped through me in waves as he took my head in his hands, invading me gently with his sweet tongue. I was swimming, completely lost. Apparently my hands weren't. He laughed and I opened my eyes, realizing I'd grabbed onto his jacket and yanked him against me. Joey looked down.

"Wanna go home with me?" He purred.

"Yeah." I panted. The heat between my legs was making me shiver. I hadn't been this aroused since college when hormones and fucking were endless. I don't even think my last boyfriend got me this riled when we were naked.

"Follow me?" He whispered. I nodded. Then I wondered if I could drive. Three beers and a blood pressure of three zillion might just put me off the road.

"Wait." I swallowed and released his jacket. Damn, my fingers were cramping from grasping the leather so hard. "I don't know if I can drive." He grinned and kissed my lips. Obviously he'd been expecting something else. I leaned back and let him work his magic. His hips met mine and I throbbed between my thighs. Dear sweet Jesus.

"Take me with you." I whispered. Wow. Was that corny or what? He didn't seem to think so because he moaned and ended the kiss, taking my hand and leading me away across the street. The car we sauntered up to made me whimper.

A 1969, black Ford Mustang. The ache between my legs worsened. If there was one thing sexier than sex, it was that car. Joey smiled as I gasped, walking up to it with wide eyes.

"Tell me this is yours." I whispered, running my shaking hands over the black paint. He grinned.

"All mine." I whimpered.

"This can't be real." He laughed, putting his hands on my hips and coming up behind me.

"Yeah it is." He whispered, pushing my hair to the side and kissing my neck. That did me in. I needed him, then, now and in that car.

"Shit." I moaned, turning around to face him. My face was flushed and hot. He looked between my eyes and laughed lightly.

"You like your cars." My eyes drooped and he lunged at my mouth again. I reached behind me and grasping the handle. The door gave way and I sunk inside. The leather was smooth and cool, brand new and fragrant. Joey was inside the driver's side door before I could register he'd moved. He lifted the median and leant over, closing the door with a loud thunk. The windows were tinted and I was praising every deity under the sun for this fact. I didn't care if I ever saw this guy again; I was going to enjoy every second of this.

Our hands were desperate and clumsy. Joey was instantly focused on my breasts and I was tearing at my jeans. I needed to be free of them and in a frenzy I kicked them away. He purred and our mouths tangled once again. He was on fire, inside and out. His tongue was quick and trained, evoking panting whines from my throat. I sounded like a trapped animal.

Then his hand cupped between my thighs. I moaned loudly and grasped at his shoulders. Joey looked up at me and kissed my jaw.

"God you're wet." He murmured. I rocked against him, pleading with my body. My underwear moved and the cool air of the car hit my heat. I shuddered and whimpered under him.

"Please." That was all I could muster. His finger slid inside and I screamed to high heaven, clawing at him as an orgasm ripped through my abdomen. Joey groaned and kissed my neck, rubbing me from the inside as I contracted around him.

"Shit." He murmured. I whined, raining him in by his jacket and kissing him. "Wanna cum for me again?" He whispered, lifting my hips and pressing another finger deep inside of me. Tingling rushed through my legs and I let out a cry. It sounded awful but it felt so good. Joey swore and I opened my eyes. His face was scrunched into a frown. Immediately I felt like retracting into a ball. Here I was, legs wide open in the front seat of a stranger's car…Oh god. Joey swore again and lunged, kissing me quickly and pulling his fingers from my body. I couldn't suppress the strangled moan.

"One second." He grunted, using his other hand to yank a phone from his pocket. I started to sit up, dread flooding my stomach. What the hell was I doing? Joey put the phone to his ear and put a hand on my knee, leaning his head down to tongue the skin there. He wasn't letting me go.

"Yeah?" He waited and kissed higher on my leg. Then he pulled his head away, frowning deeper. "The fuck?" I sat up. The mood was obviously fading and he looked serious. "He ok?" My curiosity rose. Joey swore and sat back on his knees. "I'll be there as soon as I can." I pulled my jeans from the passenger side floor and started one leg inside as he closed the phone. Joey watched me and I could tell he didn't know what to say.

"It's fine." I murmured. I blushed and swiped my hair away. Get out. Get out.

"My friend was hurt." I nodded.

"I'm sorry." He ran a hand through his hair.

"They're trying to patch him up but…" He stopped and his face said that he'd said too much. I knew Stokely; I put the dots together. They couldn't go to a hospital. Joey's expression yanked at my heartstrings and I blurted.

"I've got a friend who's a nurse." He stared at me.

"What?" I blushed further. Jesus, I barely knew him.

"If you needed a hand." He tilted his head.

"You said you're from around here?" I nodded.

"Used to be." Joey watched me then his eyes said he'd made a decision.

"They're not sure he'll make it." My heart sank. He wanted my help. I whipped out my cell phone and dialed.

Please pick up.

…**..reviews would be cool. ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Reviews are appreciated!**

"Lisa, there is a lady in room four that needs a catheter removal and discharge teaching."

"Sorry, that's not my patient. I have to go change a dressing. What is she doing on this floor anyways? We're Emergency not Post-Op."

"There was no room for her upstairs."

"God dammit. I wish they would stop doing this. What are we to do if a major emergency comes in tonight? Sorry, but we can't take you because the coordinators don't know how to count hospital beds? GAH!" I was walking into the clean hold to grab a dressing tray kit when my phone started ringing.

"Hello?"

"Lisa, I need your help" It was Rachel, a good friend from Stokely. We both used to live there. Funny thing is we didn't meet there. She was a few years younger but we had one major thing in common: we wanted to get the hell out of Stokely; and we had. _Thank God!_ I was pretty much out of that shitty life. We led very different lives. She's a computer hacker and I'm a nurse, but our personalities had clicked.

"What's going on? You sound frantic." I dropped the dressing tray.

"I need your help…a friend's been shot. You need to get here, like now!"

"What? Who's been shot?" _What the hell was going on?_

"I don't have time to explain, here's the address."

"I'm at work, I can't just leave! Jesus, Rachel, I work in Emergency just bring him in."

"Lisa, it's a tad more complicated than that!"

"GAH, fine! Where is he shot?"

"In the chest."

"Ok, I will try to get there as soon as possible."

I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen out of my pocket and jotted down the address from memory. I walked through the clean hold trying to think of what I may need. I grabbed a big red cytotoxic bag and started going through the shelves: two bags of normal saline, IV line, IV catheter, bandages, bandages… more bandages, tape, three suture kits, normal saline canisters, irrigation trays, sterile operating tray, and sterile gloves. I was about to walk out when I saw the chest tube kits in the corner. I ran over, grabbed one, shoved it into the large red bag, and walked out of the clean hold. Next place was the Med room. _This could be the end of my career._

"Mary, I got to go. Huge family emergency." I stated, running out the door.

I ran and jumped into my Jeep Wrangler, slamming my foot on the gas. I worked in a district with three different hospitals, one just outside of Stokely and two in the suburbs. Luckily, tonight I was at the hospital near Stokely. Within ten minutes I made it to my destination.

What Rachel was doing in Stokely, I had no clue. She had moved out of there. Not to mention, she rarely left her apartment. Stokely wasn't exactly the greatest place to be at night and, given the look of this building, this wasn't the greatest place to be at all.

"Ok, level 4, apt 414."

I grabbed the bag of goods and ran into the building. The elevator was on ground floor so I was able to make it upstairs fast enough and I quickly walked down the hall to the door that read 414, knocking loudly. The door swung open and I was shocked. There stood Billy Darley in all his glory. _I'm gonna fuckin kill Rachel!_

"Umm, do I have the right apartment? Is Rachel here?"

I looked over Billy's shoulder and saw Rachel standing next to Joe, Billy's little brother. She looked lost. There were also a few other guys that I didn't know, scrambling around the shot man and shouting at each other. I moved past Billy and quickly walked over to Rachel, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her away from the drama.

"Jesus Christ Rachel, are you ok? Do you know who these guys are?" I stated frantically.

"Fuck should I know? I just met Joe tonight."

"This is the Darley gang! Jesus Christ, that is Billy fuckin Darley and your friend, the one you're standing next to, Joe, that's his little brother! Are you trying to get us fucking killed?"

"Yes, that was the general plan. No, Lisa shit, I just—"

"You just fucked up! You fucked up because if I fuck this up, I am dead!"

Next thing I know I was grabbed by the arm and pulled over to Bodie.

"Well, are you going to fix him or what?" Billy said gruffly.

"I'll try. Everyone move away."

"Like fuck, dude, don't you realize this is Lisa? She will kill him first! Don't you remember how we treated her in high school?" Baggy stated. _FUCK! I was hoping they wouldn't recognize me._

Arguments ensued and I couldn't concentrate.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Silence engulfed the room and Billy stared down at me with hate. "I want to help him but to do that, you need to do what I say or I'm fucking leaving." I shouted. Billy took a swift step towards me and got in my face, nostrils flaring.

"You leave and let him die and I will fuckin kill you."

"Well let me work and do my thing and he won't!" There was a few seconds of silence. "Well?" I yelled, annoyed. Billy backed away and barked at everyone to stand the fuck back. I quickly moved next to Bodie and started to cut off his shirt.

"You." I pointed to the closest person. I didn't know him but he had a tattoo on his face around an eye. "Put on some gloves out of the bag and apply pressure to the wound for me, please. Lots of pressure." Bodie groaned as pressure was applied and I pulled out my stethoscope to listen to his chest sounds.

"Well the wound is on the right side of his chest so the good news is that it's not anywhere near his heart. But we need to be worried about his lungs." I applied the stethoscope to his chest, trying to listen to his lungs; but the dude in the corner wouldn't shut up about high school. To be honest I didn't even remember him. I remembered Billy and Bodie, but that was all.

"Will you shut the fuck up? I'm trying to listen here!" I said, panicking when I couldn't hear any lung sounds at the lower lobe of his right lung. "How you doing, Bodie?" I asked.

"I've been better" He muscled out.

"Where are you feeling pain?"

"What the fuck, dude? She's just talking to him! What the fuck is that going to do?" Billy gave the guy a stern look and the guy sat down and shut up.

"Where the pressure is mostly, but in general in my chest." he said obviously straining.

I grabbed my blood pressure cuff, wrapped it around his arm, and continued to take his pressure. 70/50. _Shit it's low. Probably from blood loss._

"You allergic to anything I should know of Bodie?" He shook his head no.

I continued to insert an IV in him and hang a drip bag of Normal Saline and an antibiotic secondary line in order to prevent infection. I grabbed a 5cc syringe with a 5/8 needle accompanied by a vial of Dilaudid and injected him subcutaneously in the arm for pain.

"Ok, so I have the IV running which will help with the blood loss and keep his blood pressure to where we need it and stop him from going into hypovolemic shock. I gave him 2mls of Dilaudid for pain and there is a secondary antibiotic line on IV to help him from getting an infection. Does anyone know if the bullet went through or is it still in there? I don't want to move him if I don't have to." I said looking around for an answer.

"There was no exit, it's still in there" Joe piped in.

"Alright, there is no breath sounds in his lower right lung. Now that can mean that it's just from the trauma of the bullet, that there is a pocket of air, or that his lower lobe is full of blood. I can't give you a definite answer as to what it is; I don't have the proper machine to do it and the only way to find this out is through an x-ray or CT. I can try to take it out but you need to know I'm just a nurse. I'm not a doctor. I can't guarantee anything."

"What do you mean you can't guarantee anything?" Billy stated through his teeth.

"I can't guarantee I can get it out and I can't guarantee …. well …. anything." Billy knew what I was saying. I couldn't guarantee he would live and if that was the case I wouldn't be living for long either. Billy nodded and I started to clean the wound.

"Isn't he supposed to be knocked out for this sort of shit? Can't you give him more pain shit and knock him out?" Joe asked from the corner.

"No. I can't."

"Why not?" Joe asked, confused.

"Cause I'm not a fuckin anesthesiologist, ok? And the Dilaudid causes respiratory depression and he already has one lung that's fucked so he is already working overtime. That enough for ya? Cuz I'm trying to fuckin operate here."

Billy passed a look to Joe that screamed 'shut the fuck up' and I continued.

I pulled out the sterile tray and gloves, draping everything properly. _I can't believe I am doing this._ I irrigated the wound, put on the sterile gloves, and inserted my finger to see if I could feel the bullet; and I could. "I don't know if this is safe practice or what I am doing. I am not a trained doctor, but I do know the bullet needs to come out." I grabbed the tiny forceps and began to try to pull the bullet out.

Bodie thrashed and groaned.

"Can someone fucking hold him down?" I yelled. Billy walked over and stood behind Bodie's head, keeping his shoulders down while someone held his legs. Billy stared at me intently the whole time I tried to take the bullet out. After about 15 minutes of fishing I was able to grip the bullet and pull it out of the entry point. Everyone started hooting and hollering as I stitched him up. That is until Bodie started choking.

_Shit. Shit. Shit!_

"Talk to me Bodie! What's going on here?" Bodie tried to lean up to help the choking but only coughed blood.

"SHIT! MOVE MOVE MOVE!" I yelled, moving to grab the chest tube kit. _Thank fuckin god I brought this!_ I grabbed the chest tub kit and grabbed the scalpel. I jabbed the scalpel in between his ribs and into his lung. _Fuck what am I doing? I don't know what I am doing!_

"What the fuck is she doing? Billy, man, she's stabbing him!" The loud mouth piped up again. This time Billy listened and grabbed my wrist.

"Listen, Billy, his lungs are filling up with blood. I need to put this in to drain it! If I don't, he will bleed out or choke to death on his own blood!" Billy nodded, removed his hand from my wrist, and let me continue. I inserted the tube into Bodie's lung and fished it in until I got blood drawback. I hooked it up to the canister and the blood drained. Within 15 minutes the blood was barely flowing from his lung and he was stable.

"He is stable. He should be fine. I want to leave the chest tube in. Just for the next day or so to monitor the output of the blood so that doesn't happen again. Right now he is NPO, that means he can't eat or drink anything. The IV will keep him hydrated for now. If he wants something he can only have ice chips." I moved away from Bodie who was staring at me. He grabbed my hand and whispered.

"Thank you." I nodded in response.

"Is there a bathroom here?" Billy motioned towards the hall.

I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I was still in my pale blue scrubs. My scrub top was smeared with blood. _I can't believe what I just did._ I'd just operated on a man, used skills that I was not trained to do, stole supplies and medication from the hospital, all for what? To keep a gang banger living. He probably got shot doing something illegal. I could lose my nursing license, my job, my life, over this! I could go to jail. What the fuck was I thinking!

I quickly grabbed the hem of my scrub top and pulled it over my head revealing the white, spaghetti strap tank top that was underneath. I ran the tap water and put my hands under the cold to try to calm myself. It didn't work. I moved quickly and involuntarily removed the contents of my stomach. I felt like someone was looming over me and I was right. It was Billy.

"You finished in here?" he asked, leaning on the doorframe and lighting a smoke.

"No, not quite." I said softly trying to catch my breath.

Billy moved and lifted me from the ground. "You'll be ok. You get used to it."

_You'll get used to it? Wtf does that mean! This was NOT going to be a common occurrence!_

I walked out to the kitchen where Bodie was still lying on the table. I took his vital signs and he was stable. I started to pack the things that weren't needed.

"Here are some dressing tray kits; they come with normal saline and an irrigation unit. You just fill the big syringe up with the saline and spray it on the wound to clean then pat dry with sterile gauze and cover the wound with dry sterile gauze and tape it. I can come back tomorrow and check on his chest tube." _That is if I am not in jail!_ "Someone is going to have to stay with him overnight."

"I'll stay." The loud mouth stated.

"No one is fuckin staying tonight except you!" Billy barked.

"What? No. No. No."

"Billy, man, I can stay, it's cool."

"Dog, shut the fuck up and get out. EVERYONE GET OUT EXCEPT FOR LISA AND JOE!"

Rachel got up from the chair she was sitting in. I had forgotten she was even there with all the hustle and bustle. She gave me a sympathetic look and Joe followed her out the door.

"Billy, I can't stay here!"

"Like fuck! You are on my end of the sewer and what I say goes!"

I huffed, too tired to argue. Then I walked over and sat on a chair next to the table, taking hold of Bodie's hand. "Looks like it's me and you." I laughed. "Kinda feels like high school all over again."

Bodie chuckled and winced in pain. Billy moved and sat on a chair across the room in front of me the rest of the night, chain smoking and watching my actions and reactions to Bodie. This wasn't good.

**Let us know what you thought! =D**


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